Kingdom of Calatia
The Kingdom of Calatia, popularly known as the Dragon Kingdom, is a kingdom on the central regions of the northern coast of Caledon and is one of the most prosperous realms on the continent, though not the richest. The capital city of Mithlan is an important trade hub as well as a stop on the Grand Circuit and is home to the third-largest college of the Order of the Twilight Eye. The Dragon Kingdom gets its moniker from its monarch: King Illuthinpandax is an ancient red dragon, who inherited the throne from his father King Aurealexis seven centuries ago. He is often called Illuthinpandax the Undying, as no living mortal remains from before his reign, not even elves. Despite his fearsome appearance, the Dragon King is considered a fair and just ruler who is protective of his people and his lands. He is also famed for his sense of humour. The Dragon King fought during the Battle of the Blood Sun and is credited with slaying Ikrunzanxat, which paved the way for victory over The Necromancer. History Formation and early history Calatia itself is one of the oldest currently-existing kingdoms, arising from the conquest and unification of the barbarian tribes by King Haraldus the Great in the century before the end of the Dark Age. The kingdom was a major power in the region for another five centuries until 467 when King Edwan II, the last of the Royal House Haraldus, lay on his deathbed with no heir. His last act as king was to bequeath the kingdom to the Great Dragon Aurealexis, who had been his lifelong friend and advisor. The resulting uproar from the noble houses of the realm plunged the kingdom into a tumultuous period of civil war and rebellion that lasted a century. The Wars of Draconic Succession The nomination of an heir who was not only outside of the established noble houses of the realm but also not even human created chaos among the lords of Calatia. Many of the dukes and counts of the realm raised their banners in revolt to support installing their own claimants onto the throne. Conflict against factions supporting different claimants was as common as against the king during the Wars of Draconic Succession and King Aurealexis deftly played the different rebel lords off against each other, weakening them before conquering their lands and re-integrating them into the kingdom. The neighbouring kingdoms of Lothian and Atelle used this period of weakness to their advantage to conquering small areas of land along their borders that they laid claim to. The wars were long, lasting more than a century in all, though the king died of old age before the reunification of the kingdom was complete and the task fell to his only son, Illuthinpandax. Reunification and the creation of the Free Norriatic League Illuthinpandax continued his father's struggle to reunify the kingdom, though made more missteps because of his youth. Early during Illuthinpandax's reign, more land was lost to Atelle and Alesia, and an invasion of Nornish barbarians to the capital of Mithlan nearly ended the kingdom. Illuthinpandax took up arms for the first time in his reign, personally driving back the longships and invading hordes to defend the city. The impressive display of force worked to his advantage; as news spread of the new king's great prowess in battle, three rebel lords surrendered unconditionally, greatly reducing the numbers of the remaining dissidents. The last elements of the kingdom to be reintegrated were the great merchant cities of the Norria Islands. The cities however had formed a pact of mutual defence, using their geographical dispersion to force the king into either spreading his forces thin, or concentrate them on one city, leaving the others free and able to mobilise aid to break sieges and blockades. The merchant cities never fell to Illuthinpandax; instead, after thirty more years of wars against the cities, the king made peace with the cities with the Treaty of Four Winds, pledging to not only respect the cities' independence but to come to their aid should a foreign power attack them. The loose pact the cities had made solidified into the Free Norriatic League of Cities, which inducted members of other city-states in the region in later years. The Wars of Draconic Succession finally over, King Illuthinpandax declared the reunification of the kingdom during his coronation. The king continued to rule a relatively stable country, with minor wars with Atelle, up until the rise of the Necromancer. The Necromancer Wars stuff Government Calatia is a feudal hereditary monarchy. detail on the court, upper power structure, etc. Trade People Faith